


Social Networking - the Never Meet Your Heroes remix

by openhearts



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-04
Updated: 2014-05-04
Packaged: 2018-01-21 21:05:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1564031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/openhearts/pseuds/openhearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Oh Steve.  Not “the” Facebook.  Just “Facebook.”  It’s cleaner.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Social Networking - the Never Meet Your Heroes remix

**Author's Note:**

  * For [igrockspock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Social Networking](https://archiveofourown.org/works/399098) by [igrockspock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/pseuds/igrockspock). 



"I'm going to ask some questions that will probably sound weird," Steve says.

“That sounds promising,” the woman sitting at the desk replies, not looking up from the book laying open in front of her. “Can I assume you won’t get me fired and or blame me for the world ending if I finish this page really quick?”

Steve leans over and sees her fingertips sliding over the page as she reads, a few lines from the end of a chapter.

“By all means,” he offers. 

She raises a thumbs up, adding, “rock on,” under her breath. 

Steve leans his elbows on the bar-height counter that divides the Reference Specialist’s desk from the queueing area between it and the glass sliding doors at the entrance S.H.E.I.L.D.’s Archives wing.

“Kay,” she says after a moment, folding down the corner of the page and spinning in her chair to tuck the book into a drawer. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

"Promise me you'll hear me out before you call the hospital or security,” he starts.

The woman stops, hand still on the open drawer and tips her head towards the fluorescent lighted ceiling. Her shoulders slump.

"No, you cannot use the computer lab to look for porn. Not any kind of porn. Not even softcore, not even if it’s for an undercover op” - she does finger quotes and puts on a deeper voice for that part - “I mean, I don’t care what you're into, just please don't ask me something that's going to lead to me having to order another economy size Purell."

She spins around in her chair and stops short, hands on the desk now facing him. "Oh."

Steve cracks a nervous smile, holding his hands up with his palms out. 

"I just want to find someone. Do people really try to find . . . that kind of thing on S.H.E.I.L.D. computers?"

She looks him over with a quick flick of her eyes and a tilt of her head. He glances down and sees that her name tag reads Darcy.

"Well,” she drawls, “that guy was not working with,” she motions vaguely towards Steve, “anything like all that, and, again, let me stress that he for real tried to look up plushie porn on a S.H.E.I.L.D. computer, so his options are probably limited. But yes, I can confirm that is a thing that I have gotten to deal with, which, by the way, is SO far above my pay grade. Like, way above." She leans in and whispers, "I've seen things done to stuffed animals that should never ever be done."

Steve cringes but folds his hands on the counter. 

“Well maybe you can help me with a more normal request. I tried at the library information desk but their volunteer didn’t know what microfilm was.”

Darcy rolls her eyes. “Kids these days,” she sighs with a sardonic frown.

“Mm,” Steve hums and raises his eyebrows with a nod. 

“Alright, let’s do this thing,” she says briskly, cracking her knuckles and wiggling her computer mouse to bring the screen to life. She stops before he can say anything and holds holds one finger up warningly. 

“Nothing weird. I’ve reached my weird quota today. I was reading that book for stress relief. The furthest I’m willing to go is quirky.”

Steve smiles and holds up a hand. “No stuffed animals involved, scout’s honor.”

“Thaaaaaat’s not the Boy Scout salute but I’m gonna letcha slide ‘cause you’re cute,” she sing songs under her breath.

Steve grins and leans on the counter again. He purses his lips for a moment and his smile fades. 

“I’m looking for information on a person who worked for S.H.E.I.L.D. during World War II. Her name is Peggy Carter."

Darcy looks up sharply from her keyboard. She looks back at the keys for a moment, tapping her fingers lightly without typing in a nervous gesture. 

"I don't have access to employee records," she says finally.

"Oh. Could you tell me-"

Darcy takes her hands off the keyboard and pushes her glasses up, then folds her hands and rests them on the desk in front of her. She takes a deep breath.

"Margaret Carter, also known as Peggy Carter, was born June 8th, 1921 to Joseph and Jacqueline Carter of Virginia. They moved to London not long after she was born. She joined the French Resistance when she was eighteen and was soon recruited to the Strategic Scientific Reserve. I guess I can skip over most of her time in the Army since you already know about that.”

Darcy looks Steve in the eye and he stares back, wide-eyed. She gives him a sheepish wave. “Darcy Lewis, S.H.E.I.L.D. computer lab monkey, former PoliSci major with a minor in Women’s Studies. I, um, was doing my thesis on Agent Carter.”

Steve lets out a stunned breath and shakes his head a little. “So you knew from the moment I walked in here-”

“Yeah I knew who you were. But I didn’t wanna, y’know, spew all that if that’s not what you were looking for.”

“No, it is. I, uh. I was expecting to be looking for newspaper announcements on microfilm to be honest. You were writing a thesis on Peg- on Agent Carter?”

Darcy smiles. “Well, yeah. She was a high ranking female officer in the Army. The missions she went on changed the world. She’s like the definition of a BAMF. I’m sorry, am I supposed to call you Captain, or-?”

“Steve is fine. Bamf?”

“Oh, uh, that’s language not safe for work,” she points to the ceiling, “eyes and ears everywhere and all that. Listen I’m off in like . . . an hour? If you want I can tell you more, or show you some of my research?”

“Yes. Yes, that would be . . . yes I’d like that.”

Darcy smiles. “There’s a coffee place around the corner, Hill of Beans? If you want to meet there they have those big comfy chairs in the corner.”

“Sure, that would be great.”

Steve hesitates, looking at his hands splayed out on the counter. He purses his lips again.

“Can you just tell me now, is she still alive?” He asks quietly.

“She died in 1981,” Darcy answers softly. “Natural causes,” she adds.

“Oh. Alright.”

“I’m sorry.”

Steve nods, still looking at his hands. “I knew it was likely.”

“Probably doesn’t make it easier to hear though. I mean I never got to meet her, but after everything I’ve learned about her . . .” Darcy trails off. When Steve meets her eyes again she shrugs apologetically, unsure what else to say until she blinks. “Her daughter!”

“What?”

“Yeah she had a daughter, Shannon. I can totally help you get in touch with her, I found her on Facebook I just never had the nerve to contact her and then I started interning for Jane and,” she widens her eyes and makes a motion with her hands vaguely like an explosion, “that whole thing.”

“Right, the Facebook, I heard about that one,” he says absently. His eyes are a little glazed, still reeling from Darcy’s revelation.

Darcy tilts her head and widens her eyes at him. “Oh Steve. Not “the” Facebook. Just “Facebook.” It’s cleaner.”

Steve shakes his head a little, still looking stunned. Darcy smiles.

“Thank you, Darcy. I’ll see you at 3 o’clock?”

“I’ll be there,” she promises. “Thanks for not being a weirdo,” she calls after him as he approaches the sliding doors.

He turns back as the doors open and smiles, though it’s still tempered. “You too.”


End file.
